"Task Balance" in Four Secrets "It's not enough to consider how you do things and why you do them... you must also learn to see the world in terms of what it is that you're actually doing." Chapter 6 "Task Type Conflict is not about whether you love or hate the specific thing you are doing at the moment.  It is about whether that 'thing' represents too much of a certain type of task for you." Chapter 7 "It seems inane to ask 'what am I doing?'  This should be the one question that we call can answer easily... [Yet] there is more infor-mation in front of our noses than we realize, and more hidden opp-ortunity to reduce work stress." Chapter 6 "As a rule of thumb, when you find yourself aggravated, frustrated, or restless because of a task that you have done before without these negative feelings, the central issue is probably a Task Type Conflict." Chapter 7

The Secret of Task Balance
Exercises

Each new perspective allows you to interpret what you see in a new and useful way.  New interpretations lead to new understanding, which leads to new actions and ultimately new results. This is the only way to permanently defeat job misery and to like work again.

			The perspective of Task Balance helps us to interpret and respond to our feelings of aggravation or frustration by making small adjustments to the things we are already doing.

If you are reading Four Secrets to Liking Your Work, you may have tried some of the exercises in Chapters 6 and 7.  These exercises help you to build expertise with the perspective of Task Balance.

The same perspective can also be used by teams, to help allocate work according to individual preference.

Try the following exercise with any team or group that works together:

1. Have each team member read the definitions of Task Type in Four Secrets, pages 82-89.
2. Have each team member choose one of the following three selections for each of the task types in his or her daily work:
   I would like to do more of this type of work.
   I would like to do less of this type of work.
   I am satisfied with the amount of this type of work that I am doing.
3. Have each team member make a list of all of the tasks he or she does in a "typical" day, and categorize each as one of the Task Types.
4. Meet as a group.
5. First, compare notes from Step 2. Does everyone on the team want more or less of the same task type, or do some people want to increase what others want to reduce?
6. If some people want to increase what others want to reduce, have those people meet in pairs or small groups with their task lists.  See if they can find opportunities to "trade" with each other to get closer to what they want.
7. If everyone wants less of the same task types, then work together to explore possible solutions.  Here are two suggestions:
   Consider whether any Task Type conversion strategies would help - see Four Secrets, pages 96-97.
   Consider whether it is possible to get external help with some of the less desirable task types. 

Why this works:  This exercise will help your team begin to discuss and negotiate tasks in terms of Task Type, an important first step in achieving better Task Balance at the group level.  It also may provide the opportunity for simple win/win trades between team members.

Why it may not be enough: When someone is overloaded with a certain type of task, he or she may feel compelled to delegate ALL of the work of that type because of the feelings of frustration.  In reality, only a small adjustment may be needed.  By investing in a more sophisticated measurement of task type - one that includes preference, current actual, and job optimal - a team can make this process much more effective.  (Learn more...)